The Belgian military ranks are the military insignia used by the Belgian Armed Forces.

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent contex ...

Notes

*Officer-cadets at the Royal Military Academy wear the ranks of Second Lieutenant (or Ensign at sea, 2nd class) with the insignia of the Academy above the rank insignia. *Cadet-Officers at the Royal Military Academy wear the ranks of

Soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

during their first year, and

Warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

(or 1st master chief) during their second and third year. Both with the insignia of the Academy above the rank insignia. *The highest rank in the military police is Colonel. *The ranks of Admiral and Air Force General were created in 2002. *The ranks of Admiral and both ranks of (Air Force) General are reserved for only three individuals: The King of the Belgians, the Belgian

Chief of Defense The chief of defence (or head of defence) is the highest ranked commissioned officer of a nation's armed forces. The acronym CHOD is in common use within NATO and the European Union as a generic term for the highest national military position withi ...

and the chief of the Royal Military Household to the King. *The ranks of Lieutenant general and General of the Medical component were introduced in April 2021 alongside the new unified 'tactical' rank insignia.

Other ranks

The rank insignia of

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

s and

enlisted personnel An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States m ...

Notes

*CSM is an appointment at the

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

level for individuals with the rank of First Sergeant or higher. Its insignia is that of the normal rank with a small crown at the top. *RSM (/) is an appointment at the Corps level for individuals with the rank of Warrant Officer or higher, this is the most senior NCO in the corps. Its insignia is that of the normal rank with a big crown at the top. *Corps Corporal (/) is an appointment at the Corps level for individuals with the rank of 1st master corporal, its insignia is that of the 1st master corporal with a crown at the top. *The rank names relating to corporal and sergeant are replaced with "brigadier" and "/" in application to personnel of units whose traditions are related to or descend from horse units. These include the cavalry, artillery, and logistics units. Similarly, in the cavalry units, the lowest rank is named "/", they are addressed the title "/", a remnant of the aristocratic origins of horse mounted units; it was sought to remove these names in March 2013, retaining only the generic rank names. File:Caporal de corps.jpg, / of

Ranks at the Royal Military Academy

Notes: * Student-Officers attain the rank of Corporal, CCO after completing their military initiation phase ("MIP" ). * Student-Officers attain the rank of Sergeant, CCO after the first winter camp when they complete the training at the 'individual' level and start their training at the 'team' and 'squad' level. * Student-Officers take an oath after they receive their bachelor's degree and successfully complete their 'second native language' exam, thus becoming Officer-Students and attaining the rank of Lieutenant, CCO or branch equivalent.

Medical Component rank variations

File:Grades de dentistes.JPG, Dentist Ranks of the medical component. File:Grades de médecins.JPG, Doctor Ranks of the medical component. File:Grades de pharmaciens.JPG, Pharmacist Ranks of the medical component. File:Grades de Vétérinaires.JPG, Veterinarian Ranks of the medical component. File:Grades du Corps de Support Médical.JPG, Medical Support Corps Ranks of the medical component.

References

External links

* {{Military ranks by country Belgium Military of Belgium